Leslie Van Houten Recommended for Parole Again

Wednesday, September 6th, 2017

Sept. 6 – For the second time in as many years, a California parole board has found Leslie Van Houten suitable for parole. The decision was made earlier today, at Van Houten’s 21st parole hearing, held at the California Institute for Women in Corona.

Van Houten, was sentenced to death in 1971 for her part in the August 10, 1969 murder deaths of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. The following year, Van Houten saw her sentence commuted to life after the California supreme court outlawed the death penalty, stating it was unconstitutional. In 1976, an appeals court ruled Van Houten was denied a fair trial because her attorney, Ronald Hughes, disappeared while the trial was in progress.

Van Houten was retried in 1977, resulting in a hung jury. She was retried the following year and again convicted, this time sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. Because of time served on her original sentence, Van Houten was already eligible for parole when she returned to prison in August of 1978.

Since then, she has been denied parole 19 times. She was recommended for parole for the first time in April of 2016. On July 22, 2016, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed the decision, stating, “I have considered the evidence in the record that is relevant to whether Van Houten is currently dangerous. When considered as a whole, I find the evidence shows that she currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison.”

The decision will undergo a 120-day review by the Board of Parole Hearings. Then it will be reviewed by Brown, who will have until February 3, 2018 to either confirm, reverse or modify the parole grant.

Without a doubt Mary Brunner got away with murder and attempted murder in the Hawthorne shootout. Mary Brunner cut a deal to testify against Bobby Beausoliel. Then she recanted her testimony. But here is the deal, this is not about Mary Brunner. She did serve her time for the shoot out and has not been in trouble since then. The thing with Leslie is she has openly admitted that she knew there would be more killings on the night after the Tate murders. She knew about the gruesome murders and yet she wanted to go the next night, knowing she would be going out to kill. During her trial she acted the fool, following Manson’s lead and where did it put her? On death row. Then the State of California abolishes the death penalty and all those on death row at that time are given life with possibility of parole. Leslie was given something she and her cohorts denied their victims…life. Please don’t remind me of her age at the time. 19. An adult. She made her choice to do drugs. She made her choice to be a part of the Manson Family. She made her choice to stay. She made her choice to kill. I can only imagine the horror that Rosemary’s son went through finding his butchered mother and step-father. And having to live with that memory over his life time. Frankly I don’t care how good Leslie’s prison record is. All the remorse in the world cannot undo what she has done. And Mary Brunner, I have a feeling she will always suffer mentally for what she was a part of all those years ago. Those people committed horrific crimes. Ever stuck yourself with a needle or fork? Hurts like hell. Picture being stabbed to death, begging for your life. Leslie assisted in stabbing Rosemary and it has been proven that many of the stab wounds on the back were post mortem, meaning Rosemary was still alive. Leslie was given the gift of life and for that she should be grateful. Release? I hope not.

Well said, Rosie! Anybody thinking anything except life in prison for all of these scum, remember this, how much mercy would they of shown you if you was in either houses that night. Vincent Bugliosi said it best, “the other co-defendants, I think, are sincerely sorry for what they did, even given that, taking it a step further, lets assume they are rehabilitated, wont do it again, IF JUSTICE MEANS ANYTHING IN AMERICA, THEY SHOULD SPEND THE REST OF THERE LIVES BEHIND BARS!!

Leslie Van Houten is a danger to society, just as much as she was In 1969. She will always cause fear to society and does not deserve a parole. This woman murdered innocent people and now she says she’s fine, no … she must remain in prison, it is the only way to insure the safety of innocent people in our society.
Please don’t release this woman …
Thank you

No matter how you look at it, their crimes were so severe that the least -if thinking about the victims and their rights- is for them to spend their entire lives in prison. Period. Leslie may not have been the worst of them, but who cares? If she’s really sorry, if these were her true feelings, she wouldn’t ask for a release at all, beacause she would accept that for such atrocities, the only place she belong to is prison. She would show decency towards the victims. asking to be free is obscene and not remorseful for a single second.

Rosemary LaBianca suffered 41 stab wounds and listened as her husband was being slaughtered. Leno LaBianca, a WWII veteran, suffered 26 stab and puncture wounds and left with the word “war” carved in his stomach, a carving fork and a steak knife embedded in his flesh. And Leslie Van Houten asks for release year after year. Let her serve a year for each stab wound, for each puncture, for each scream, for each whimper of the victims. She KNEW about the Tate murders the night before and still made the choice to murder. She was 19 years old soon to be 20 years of age on August 23rd.
Make no mistake, she earned her lot.

The thing that irritates me the most are the dying heart liberals who continue to want the murderers freed. Leslie admitted to wanting to go the first night but said she was not needed. She said she knew there would be more killings the second night. Have any of these liberals listened to her being questioned about the murders before the trials? In her own words she said “you could not meet a nicer bunch of people”, meaning the Family. They broke into homes, stole cars. And don’t even try to tell me they could not leave. People came and went from Spahn Ranch freely. And Leslie also said that “murder was also something in her”. And the b.s. that Manson never murdered any one. Excuse me, he helped murder Jerome “Shorty” Shea, the ranch hand. He slashed Gary Hinman with a sword. Once and for all, those people who feel Leslie or Tex Watson, or Patricia Krenwinkel , Bruce Davis or Charles Manson have served their time need to look at the photos of their victims and just try to imagine the horror they went through. having a good prison record or finding Jesus as Watson claims still does not change in any way what they did. They chose to kill and without mercy. As Doris Tate once said to Watson at one of his parole hearings, “what mercy did you show my daughter sir”? Rosemary tied up and hearing her husband being slaughtered. And Leslie participated in her murder. Takes a shower and even goes through Rosemary’s closer. Takes a bag of coins. Oh and before leaving, joins Krenwinkel and Watson in eating watermelon and drinking chocolate milk from the La Bianca’s refrigerator. The guy who gave them a ride while hitchhiking came looking for her later at the ranch and she hid under a blanket telling the girls not to tell him where she was and then she divided the coins up she stole from the La Bianca house. After the raid on the ranch, where she could have told police exactly what happened does she? No. Upon release she goes to Barker Ranch with the Family. I am sorry but there is something seriously wrong with her and all those who chose to murder. She was given life and spared from the gas chamber. When will the victims of Leslie and her cohorts be released for their lives? She needs to spend her entire life behind bars.

What’s fascinating to me, is how anyone can believe someone convicted of spectacularly hideous crimes and then imprisoned for almost 50 YEARS… can somehow forge a value system over a half-century while living in the weird, cloistered, rigid living structure of prison. Alone with their thoughts/ideas, they con themselves into believing they will somehow succeed “on the outside” as a Manson Family member. At age 19-20 each ridiculously rationalized a rightful and free existence that allowed for their horrendous murdering sprees. Now, 50 years later, they somehow imagine an ability and rightfulness to re-enter society …when they’ve been stashed-away in the odd existence of the prison system all of that time? Delusional. Tragic. Their continued incarceration is a hard-and-fast testimonial for how our American civilization absolutely will not tolerate this kind of ruthless, senseless, heartless murdering.

well said. I read that Tex Watson wants to be a minister on Tv should he be released! Give me a break. A monster who butchered 8 people and an unborn child who wants to be a minister preaching the gospel yet to this day he still blames Manson and drugs for his actions. And Leslie and Patricia still blame Manson and drugs. That Steve Grogan was paroled infuriates me. What is wrong with our system? For granted it is the best in the world but when you commit such horrific crimes you should not be able to ever leave prison. I am sure they all have their supporters but I for one support the families of all their victims, the Tates, Jay Sebring”s loved ones, the Parent’s, the son of Voytek Frykowski, the Folger’s, the La BIanca’s loved ones, the Shea’s, Gray Hinman’s loved ones. Where does it all end? Every time those murderers come up for parole the wounds of their loved ones and those of us who understand are opened again. No more parole for them!

I don’t see what problem people have with this. The Parole Board says it is ok to parole her. So, you people know better than they do? She would have parole conditions…probably for the rest of her life anyhow.

I’d like to ask you to consider looking me right into my eyes
If you don’t want Leslie to be released, come with me to the gates of California’s prisons:
here comes a convict given parole/release after 30 years. He murdered two people.
There’s a fellow who had raped and murdered a girl, released.
Here walks another fellow, out the gate over there, he had been convicted of murder and now there he is smiling and the reporters are smiling and we’re supposed to be happy for him.
There’s guy in another photo and he’s being helped with money and a computer, now that he’s out of prison, he had been convicted after he attacked and killed two people.

These, among others, given a pass back out to freedom, kidnappers, sex assault crimes,
murder of one and more persons are walking around you out here.
They were deemed, said, not to be a danger to society now, so have a nice day…
But Leslie Van Houten is?
That criteria for a release from prison is supposed to be, by law the most important one that is:
‘is the inmate a danger to society.’ That’s the most important factor, since 2008, said
the California Supreme Court.
You don’t want Leslie released… than you are alright with the unfair way that she has been singled out?
Than how in the world is that a justice and an ‘even fair play’ of the system?
Think about what I said above and then,
I want you to look at me right into my eyes

Janet she helped smother him and helped hold hom hostsge for days.
Leslie is a danger to society after 48 years? Why? Because she was involved in a high profile case?
There are people who did much worse than Leslie did eho have served less time than she has.

Rosie – manson and drugs were part of the equation. Leslie has also stated her own responsibility.
The fact is that no matter what she says or does will ever be enough for some.
Fayez – exactly my point.

Blackheart…Susan was convicted of Himman.
And Rosie…you cannot seriously compare Leslie”s actions to Tex’s
All of this doesn’t really matter because the governor will block her release. So no need to worry.

Two mutilated victims in the prime of their lives is worth how much time served? Well that depends on what other case you want to negate LVH to absolve her of her chosen crimes and time served. That’s akin to “well THEY got to do it, why can’t I?” crap you hear from children.

High profile? Good! So since this crime was in international news she has been punished enough? Wasn’t she sending a message to the world with the brutality of her crimes? Yep, she sure was. She made her choice weeks shy of turning 20 years old. She knew exactly what she was doing. She volunteered.

No mercy. No compunction whatsoever. Let that murderer of two truly innocent victims stay in prison until the day she dies.

Actually studies show that liberals in general focus on thoughts (big picture/critical thinking – outside the box thinkers) and conservatives focus on emotions (reactive with focus on what is immediately present). Both have advantages. Just a tidbit of useless information. Not sure why liberals are called bleeding hearts though when in general they are more thought oriented. Maybe bleeding brain liberal is more accurate

Donna, I didn’t say Susan wasn’t convicted for Hinman. I was pointing out that Mary was just as deep in the Hinman murder as was Susan. Neither Susan or Mary stabbed or shot Gary. Yet Mary escaped and Susan got convicted. Both are just as guilty here.

Linda Kasabian is just a guilty as Susan. There’s evidence Linda was in the Cielo house until Tex told her to go out and stand guard. During the course of the crimes, neither Susan nor Linda killed anyone. At Labianca, Linda was more involved than was Susan.

Mary and Linda are, in my mind, un-convicted murderers. Giving these two total immunity shows how weak State’s cases were. Without Susan it’s possible the crimes would have gone unsolved for many a year, maybe forever a la zebra and zodiac.

I don’t care if Lesslie walks, that’s the law. The board assessed her fit twice. They have ruled in effect that she is little danger to the public, and likely she is not. Well, maybe she’ll J-walk if she gets out.

Leslie was a total dipshit at the time of her crimes. I have no concern for her. What concerns me is damage to state law.

Leslie destroyed two lives and impacted others. She destroyed her own but her haradin of a libtard mother gave her a big push in that direction.

What California is doing with Bruce and Leslie is prostituting the law and the biggest whore out there is Gov. Moonbeam Brown. Brown should be in the Federal Pen for violation of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA) due to his overt aiding and abetting illegal immigration into the state. Who in the hell is this hack to judge anyone?

Black Heart…I do agree that Mary is just as guilty as Susan with Himman. I don’t think I necessarily agree that Linda is just as guilty as Susan though. While I agree that Dusan likely did not directly kill anyone, she did help hold Sharon down as she was stabbed, she stabbed Voytek in the legs, and she did participate in holding Hinman hostage and possibly assisted in smothering him with a pillow (same as Mary).

Donna, if you are on the scene of a murder and assist in any way, your are as guilty as he who pulls the trigger.

Yes it’s likely that Susan held Sharon’s arms while Tex stabbed her in the chest. At the same time Linda ran to the car to drive off if she had seen the cops coming. She was not upset about the killings at Cielo, she ran to avoid being caught. Her perfect willingness to drive while Manson searched for a target the second night, betrays her lack of concerns for the Cielo killings, just like Leslie.

Susan refused to stab Sharon, she refused to stab Voytek, and she refused to pull the trigger on Hinman when she had the gun on him and he rushed her and took it away. In her passive aggressive way, Susan refused to exit the car at Labianca and didn’t so much as commit a trespass. Linda helped select targets, received stolen goods, disposed of stolen goods, and, the first night, she disposed of evidence.

We don’t know if Susan stabbed Voytek in the legs, but it’s likely she did. However, that could not be proven because her knife found by cops was ‘clean’. They could not prove it was even her knife. Susan could have said, ‘screw you, I wasn’t there on either night’, and gotten away with it.

Bugliosi knew he had no case based on the scant evidence available. He invented a bogus race war scenario to inflame the public and horrify the jury. Susan talked for whatever reason, and thus the culprits caught and convicted.

My contention is that Susan simply did not have the killer instinct. Leslie and Linda did. I believe Moonbeam rejected Leslie’s last parole because Leslie has never reconciled why she wanted to go on the second night knowing full well what had happened the previous night at Cielo. Hell, that’s a sane analysis by that old political hack. Yet, the prison shrinks and two parole boards, having full access to the ‘book’ on Leslie, have deemed otherwise.

POS Brown is substituting a political decision for a legal one. Most states don’t allow that. What Parole Boards rule is what goes. Oh well, it’s Californicate, what can you say?

There are only three….yes, only three states that allow the Governor to make such a decision. Oklahoma, Maryland and California. So, we have 47 against three. The overwhelming majority of States are against this.

I’m not absolutely sure, but almost sure that the parole reviews come around automatically; the prisoners wouldn’t get anywhere by asking for them. And if by chance she would be granted a parole, she would then not legally be allowed to remain in prison. That happened with Charlie early in his criminal career; he wanted to stay but his sentence was up so he was released.

I think Leslie is truly sorry for what she’s done – she’s earned two college degrees, stays out of trouble and participates in every self-help program she can get her hands on. Still, she did take someone’s life in cold blood and shouldn’t be released in my opinion. I see the ethics in your saying she shouldn’t accept a release if given, but I think just about everyone is selfish enough to want their freedom despite what they’ve done.

Tex Watson has been a Christian for decades now, and he is the founder of Abounding Love Ministries which has been around for many years. He was very forthcoming in taking responsibility for his crimes and didn’t deny anything. He was whacked out on meth at the time of the murders, and Charlie did use LSD and other devices to exercise control over his followers.

Jerry Brown vetoed Leslie’s parole for political reasons – I doubt that anyone who depends on votes to keep his job will let the parole go through; it would spark the biggest public outrage in modern history – and no politician wants to be remembered as the guy who put the Manson family back into society.

You all that think she and the rest of those thugs should go free because they say I’m sorry or have degrees or cause manson made me do it. There comments Remind me of what the Nazi excatly said at there trials. Do u think they should of been let go to. Yeah… Me either!! If they get parole and you feel it’s a right decision then I say they live in house with your kids or grandkids. My bit of advice keep the knives locked up

Leslie has lived a pampered life in prison. She has a lot of friends, inside and out, including some illustrious people. Les has received a lot of special treatment from guards during her younger years especially . She can charm the birds out of the trees.

Charlie is not some mystical, magical, brain washing Guru! Many people told him “Go to hell Charlie” The proof to this is that his once large family was down to a few when talk of murder spread around Spahn Ranch… But Leslie stayed.

I’ve read much about serial, psychopathic murderers…and ALL fantasize about murder long before they act on it. From what we know about Leslie is that she loved believing in Helter Skelter…mass murder and mayhem on an unbelievable scale. When she herd about the Tate murder she becomes mad she couldn’t go and begs to go the next night…she is fantasizing about the murdering of other human beings that have done nothing to her…she IS a psychopath.
Just because she does little that night, she does enough and I can assure you serial killers get better as they go along, and Leslie would have gotten better given that chance.

Like ALL psychopaths she is sorry she got caught and every thing she does afterwards in prison is for her own IMAGE. A psychopath will morph into what they think others want to see…Let her die in her cold cell as she is truly a psychopath.

dying heart liberals? lol funny.. hypocritical, but funny. No matter what your opinion is…and the quite creative versions and perspectives displayed here, means nothing compared to the law. The law is black and white with grey outlined in black and white. The law is not being followed when Van Houten is denied. You can try and sugar coat, and delusionally explain away someone inexpicible, but the fact is, anyone really with this belief is either ignorant or delusional. Period. It’s indisputable that per law, Van Houten’s release is required, and this comes to you. So if liberals are known favoring law over political bs, then i guess you got that one sentence correct but everything else same dull tune violins playing from you ppls 🙂

Donna, I am not comparing Leslie’s actions to Tex Watson’s. But it comes down to this, murder is murder. That Kasabian and Brunner served no time for being along the nights of the murders has always bothered me. Whether Mrs. LaBianca was already dead when Leslie stabbed her is not the question. Leslie has testified that Mrs. LaBianca was still alive. All these people have been in their graves, including an unborn child. When do they have a chance at parole? I am sorry but I truly believe that those who were convicted whould never be paroled.

Sorry if I pissed you off Kip. I meant to say that not all the stab wounds were post mortem but then does it really matter? Leslie knew that murders had been committed the previous night and had wanted to go along. She knew people would die the next night and went along. The entire Manson case pisses me off to no end. I see the victims and their loved ones who lost them to s hideous crime, and senseless on top of it all. The killers were sent to prison and were sentenced to death. Then they received life with the possibility of parole. I would think just getting life would be enough considering all the lives they took and the numerous lives they have ruined. You want to do the crime? Do your time.

Whatever Donna. I stand corrected. If you must know I am adamant that Watson, Krenwinkel, Van Houton, Davis and Beausoliel spend the rest of their days behind bars along with Manson. What they did was inhuman. They have received more than they ever gave their victims. Life. Do you have any idea what it is like to know someone who lost a loved one due to murder? I do. You never get over it. And I agree that too many murderers, rapists etc. are released as Fayez brings up. I am sick of hearing what great progress Van Houton has made in prison. Good for her. She got an education. She also took a son’s mother and step father away from him. I am tired of the blame being put on Manson and drugs. Each and everyone of those monsters made a choice to stay and in the end murder.

Hi Rosie,
I’m sorry for any pain you have gone through and suffered.
I obviously can’t feel what you had, and if I may get somewhat emotional, for a moment, I had tears in my eyes when I saw one particular picture of Debra Tate as she gazed at the camera as she was waiting for one of the parole hearings to start.
To me it was the sadness in her eyes and, obviously in her heart.
One of the issues that I see with Leslie is that she was mixed/screwed up in her mind at the time and she wanted to live up to and show how she is ‘with it’ and all that to do with that Helter Skelter bull. That nonsense that, when John Lennon was asked about it, that song, concerning the Manson situations, he said, “to us it was just noise,” referring to that silly no melody album filler of a song.
We disagree but seeing as how things are as they are, what the heck, let Leslie live on the outside in what time there is.
I admit that my bias does have to do with meeting three of the ‘Spahn girls’ in July, ’69.
Somewhat, anyway.
Well, we all have an ‘answer’ don’t we?

She’s more than served her time! From the start she was the one deemed most likely to get parole. She was so young when she was involved with the murders. I could never ever judge a 60yr old lady for what she did in her 20s!